SPECIAL MOLISE (2)

                                                        

Where to stay in Molise

Molise is keen to attract the independent tourist who wants to sample authentic Italian small town and village life.  The “Albergo Diffuso” is ideal for this purpose and the region is doing its best to encourage and promote this formula.  The “Albergo Diffuso”, invented in Carnia (Fruili) after the earthquake of the 1970s, is a new concept in hotel accommodation, where rooms are in restored old houses dotted around the historic centres of small towns and villages. The formula has been particularly successful in Molise’s neighbouring region, Abruzzo, which, like Molise, abounds in charming medieval mountain villages that had been largely abandoned by the native population.

These “Village Hotels” can be found in 15 Molise communes and offer a total of 456 beds. Facilities, however, vary considerably. The authentic “Albergo Diffuse” has a central core, acting as a reception area, and can also offer dining facilities, either directly or through agreements with local restaurants. Many “Village Hotels” that we visited were little more, in effect, than rental accommodation with self-catering facilities . There is also a wide choice of properties for sale in these “borghi” (historic centres) at extremely reasonable prices. Those looking for a second home in the heart of Italy will be welcomed with open arms. Depopulation is a big worry here. The people of Molise are very proud of their home patch and keen to keep it  alive. 

Along with Farm Holidays (agriturismo), the Albergo Diffuso and rented accommodation in an old “ borgo” are ideal solutions for families. Prices are lower than in normal hotels and children can enjoy the freedom of playing in  unpolluted traffic-free streets and piazzas in a small centre where everyone knows everyone else.

Some places to stay that we visited:

FROSOLONE                              

Frosolone is a mountain village that has specialized in the production of knives and scissors for centuries. A visit to the Museo dei Ferri Taglienti (the Museum of Cutting Blades) just off the main square is a must. Hundreds of blades, knives, daggers and cutting tools are on display, including a 700-year old knife, the oldest item in the collection, exquisitely worked filigree steel handles and hilts, “love token” knives that young men gave to their betrothed and the Frosolone “zuava” with its distinctive yellow and brown mottled handle. Although most of the local production is now industrialized, there are still a few local craftsmen who make knives and scissors by hand in the way of their forefathers. Although these are not cheap, they make a unique and precious souvenir.

Frosolone’s borgo is a quiet, peaceful place. For most of the year you won’t hear much more than church bells and cows mooing down in the meadows. But in the month of August, the old streets are filled with the clanging of hammer on anvil as dozens of smiths gather for the “National Exhibition of Scissors and Knives” and the “Festival of the Forge”.

Frosolone has a tourist accommodation capacity of 300 beds, distributed among rental properties, B & B and agriturismo establishments.  It’s an ideal place for the outdoor life � walking, biking, riding, bird-watching and free climbing. A half hour drive takes you to the ski resort of Campitello Matese on the Campania border.

La Torre is a rural retreat in the countryside a few miles from Frosolone with accommodation in a cluster of small houses on either side of a narrow street, a communal self-catering kitchen complete with pizza oven and a little garden with a great view for outdoor dining. Ideal for family groups, with very reasonable prices.

 Contact: Angela Palangio Tel: 0039.0874/890803  www.latorre.is.it     

Posted on 09 Jan 2010 by Editor
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